Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FUEL INJECTOR WITH SILICON NOZZLE
This invention relates to a structure for a
fuel injector.
The use of carburetors as a ~uel metering
system on spark ignition engines is rapidly beiny
displaced by the application of fuel injectors. Fuel
injection configurations currently used include
injection using an injector in the throttle body
(central fuel injection) or using an injector for each
cylinder (electronic fuel injection). The fuel flow
through the fuel injectors is controlled by nozzles
having precisely machined metal components. The fuel
injectors are actuated by conventional electrical
solenoids. Disadvantages of the current design include
slow response time, part to part variability, plugging
of the fuel path through the nozzle and high cost~ It
would be dssirable to have a fuel injector easily fitted
with nozzles which can be easily and precisely formed at
a relatively low cost. These are some o the problems
this invention overcomes. Various silicon valves are
also known as discussed in U.S. Patents 4,647,013 and
4,628,576 both having the same assignee as this
application.
In one aspect, the present invention provides
a fuel injector design using a silicon micromachined
nozzle. An injector body supports a fuel conn~ction to
~, pass fuel from a fuel source to the silicon
micromachined noæzle. Actuation
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means responsive to an electric source actuates a valve
upstream of the silicon nozzle for controlling fuel
flow. That is, the silicon nozzle is used to control the
geometry of the fuel spray and maximum fuel delivery rate
out of the fuel injector and the upstream valve is to
control the flow o~ the fuel.
The advantage of having the silicon nozzle
control the fuel spray is that the silicon can be easily,
precisely and relatively inexpensively formed into a very
precise pattern which is necessary or defining the fuel
flow so that the fuel is desirably atomized. Fuel flow
through the silicon nozzle can be shut off using a
conventional needle and seat or a micromachined silicon
valve plate in combination with the silicon micromachined
- 15 nozzle plate to form a silicon micromachined valve
~ssembly.
Advantageously, the injector body also supports
, an elongated piezoelectric driver or stack which changes
length in response to applied electrical energy. This
change in length can be used to shut off fuel flow
through the nozzle. The piezoelectric stack shut off
i;l action can be direct or indirect through the use of a
lever assembly which amplifies the movement of the
piezoelectric stack. The fuel injector can further
include an O ring seal positioned around the injector
~ body and a nozzle seal coupled around the periphery of
`~ the nozzle plate. When a silicon valve assembly is used
in the fuel injector to control uel flow, an actuator
means can pass through a plunger opening in the valve
. 30 plate and abut a surface on the nozzle plate to cause
.~ relative movement between said nozzle plate and said
valve plate.The nozzle plate is free of the valve plate
and a return force (e.g. a Belleville washer) is used to
close the valve by pressing the valve plate and nozz~e
plate together. The valve assembly is opened to permit
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passage of fuel by an actuating force causing the nozzle
plate to be spaced from the valve plate.
~ The invention is described further, by way of
:~ illustration, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side, partly section view of a
floating nozzle fuel injector assembly and package in
accordance with an embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective, partly
section, view of portions of the injector of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3A and 3B are section views of the
nozzle in a closed position and an open position,
respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of this
invention;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a
piezoelectric driver including a lever assembly for fuel
metering control for a ~uel injector in accordance with
an embodiment of this invention;
FIGS. 5 and 5B are section views of a valve
and nozzle in a closed and an open po~ition,
respectively, in accordance with another embodiment of
this invention;
FIG. 6 is a section view of a fuel injector
; with a single silicon nozzle using a needle and seat
` 25 fluid flow control valve in accordance with an
!.` ~ embodiment Df this invention; and
!, . FIG. 7 is a section view of a fuel injector
with a compound silicon nozzle using a needle and seat
~or fluid flow control valve in accordance with an
embodiment of this invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, a fuel injector 50
~ includes a valve assembly 53 including a valve plate 13
and a cooperating nozzle plate 15 which controls the
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nature of the fuel spray pattern from injector 50. ~n
O-ring seal 54 is positioned around injector housing 12
in a circumferential groove 55. Not shown are
connections for
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1 326795
~upplying fuel to injector 50 and for supplying
electrisity to actuate a valve within injector 50O
Cooperating with valve assembly 53 is a
; piezoelectric stack 11 which is used to actuate siliconmicromachined nozzle plate 15, thereby metering the
amount of ~uel that is in;ected. Piezoelectric stack 11
include~ a series of layers similar to a multilayer
capacitor. Application of electrical energy to
. piezoelectric stack 11 causes the stack to expand
~' 10 longitudinally and thus cause movement of abutting nozzle
plate 15. Alternatively, it is possible to substitute a
solenoid-type actuator for the piezoelectric stack. The
solenoid type actuator can also cause longitudinal motion
in response to the application o~ electric energy.
. 15 Referring to FI~. 2, injector housing 12
supports piezoelectric stack 11 under a piezoelectric
~i holder 10 which is adjusted by an adjuster screw 1.
Valve assembly 53 is coupled to injector housing 1~ hy a
valve as~embly retainar ~8. In valve ~ssembly 53, valve
~ 20 plate 13 is coupled to housing 1~ and to nozzle plate 15
:~ through a valve seal 14. Nozzle plate 15 is coupled to
~. housin~ 12 and to a Belleville spring washsr 17 by a
!~, nozzle s~al 16. Nozzle seal 16 is coupled around the
.~ periphery of nozzle plate lS with resp~ct to inj~ctor
housing 12 at a position for valving action in
cooperation with valve plate 13 in response to
.: longitudinal movement by piezoelectric stack 11. Valve
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; seal 14 i~ coupled around the periphery of valve plate ~3
and ~upport~ valve plate 13 with respect to in;ector
. 30 hou~lng 12.
Nozzle plate 15 iG not attached to valve plate
13 and a Belleville ~pring washer 17 is used o close the
v~lving co~bination of nozzle plate 15 and valve plate
13. Valve plate 13 is opened by activating piezoelectric
stack 11. A plunger llA pas~es through valve plate 13
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and pushes on nozzle plate 15 to deflect nozzle plate 15
away from valve plate 13, which remains stationary. Such
a construction is called a floating nozzle fuel in~ector
design because the two silicon plates are not sealed
together along the edges but are maintained in the closed
- position by Belleville spring washer 17. Valving action
does not depend upon the elasticity of the silicon. The
closing ~orce supplied by Belleville spring washer 17 can
also be applied by an elastomer, a coil spring or other
spring means.
Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, as piezoelectric
stack 11 expands upon charging in response to application
of electrical energyt it overcomes the spring orce and
opens the nozzle. When opened, both nozzle plate 15 and
valve plate 13 are relatively parallel to each other in
contrast to being bent as would be the case if the two
plates were sealed to each other along their edges. When
piezoelectric stack 11 discharges, it returns to its
original length and Belleville spring washer 17 forces
the nozzle plate 15 against valve plate 13 closing valve
assembly 53~ -;
Referring to FIG. 3A, valv~ assembly 53 is shown
~` closed and the openings of nozzle plate 15 are covered by
valve plate 13. An opening in valve plate 13 permits
plunger llA of piezoelectric driver assembly 11 to pass
~ ~ through to nozzle plate 15. As shown in FIG. 3B, when
!~ piezoelectric stack 11 is activated and plunger llA moves
downward, nozzle plate 15 is pushed away from valve plate
13 a~d fluid flow through valve assembly 53 is possible.
Referring to FIG. 4, an exploded perspective
view of a piezoelectric driver ~4 which couples to a
lever assembly 42 rotating about a pivot point ~5 thereby
applying a force and movement to a flow control valve
43. Flow control valve 43 activates a fluid flow through
the combination of Elow plate 46 and oriEice plate 47
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j which together combine to form a compound nozzle wherein
shear gaps are provided for fluid ~low substantially
parallel t~ the plane of the plates 46, 47 from the
;l openings in the plate 46 to the opening in the plate 47.
A spring 41 is axially aligned with flow control valve 43
to return it to a closed po~ition after pi~zoelectric
. driver 44 constricts to its reduced length permitting
lever assembly 42 to release flow control valve 43.
Referring to Fig. 5A, the side view of the compound
, 10 nozzle and flow control valve 43 of Fig. 4 i5 shown in a
closed position. Flow control valv~ 43 includes a
central axial passage 81 and radial passages 82 for
. passing fuel. Referring to Fig. 5B, the ~ame components
,~ are shown in an open position wi~h the valve flow control
4~ raised so as to permit fluid ~low following flow path
60 and 61.
Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate silicon nozzles being used
to define fuel spray patterns and maxi~um ~uel delivery
rates from a ~uel injector and fuel ~low being controlled
by a valve upstream of the silicon nozzle. Referring to
;~ Fig. 6, a fuel injector 60 having a needle 66 an~ a seat
69 controls fuel flow through at a single silicon nozzle
plate 71 which de~ines the spray pattern of the fuel.
Referring to Fig. 7, a needle 80 and a seat 81 control
fuel flow to a compound nozzle 82 which de~ines the fuel
- spray pattern and maximum fuel delivery rate.
Various modifications and variatlon~ will nv do~bt
occur to those killed in the various arts to which this
.: inYention pertains. For ~xample, the particular
geometric con~igur~tion o~ the valve may be varied from
that di~clossd herein. These and all other variations
which ba~iaally rely on the teachings through which this
disclosure has advanced the art are properly considered
within the cope of this invention.
~: 35 Silicon machined valves are further described in
` U.S. Patent 4,647,013.
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